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Pilot Scoop: The Borgias

Becky Kirsch — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 06:00:00 PDT

Now that The Tudors is long gone, the folks over at Showtime are attempting to fill the void with their brand new historical series, The Borgias. Before the show premieres tonight, here's a rundown on everything you need to know.

What it's about: Jeremy Irons stars as Rodrigo Borgia, a cardinal who rises to power when he seizes the Roman papacy through corrupt means during the Renaissance. As Pope Alexander VI, he struggles to stay one step ahead of his enemies and protect his family, which includes sons Cesare and Juan, and daughter Lucrezia. Cesare has his own inner conflict as a bishop who would rather be a warrior like his brother Juan, while teenage Lucrezia represents an opportunity to add to her family's power through a conveniently arranged marriage with someone of her father's choosing - even if that's not what she wants.

Where it works: It's hard to deny the gorgeous sets and costumes as The Borgias takes us back to Renaissance Italy and all that comes with it. Irons gives a rich performance that's entertaining and sparks intrigue, and I was also impressed with François Arnaud as Cesare.

Where it doesn't: Showtime has been touting the show as a historical version of The Godfather, as it centers on one of the biggest crime families in history. Unfortunately, the pilot just doesn't pack much punch. It's pretty, but the plot moves at a snail's pace and none of the characters are truly captivating. It's possible that we're just getting the tip of the iceberg here, but I wanted more soapiness and drama - even with a few sex scenes, this is no substitute for The Tudors.

Am I hooked? I'm sorry to say that I'm not. I'll stick with it for a few more episodes, but if it doesn't pick up the pace soon, I'm afraid it's going to have a hard time finding an audience that will keep coming back.

To watch a preview for the show, just

Photo courtesy of Showtime

Link Time - Alec Baldwin Still Plans to Quit Acting in 2012

BuzzSugar — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:00:00 PDT

Alec Baldwin is sticking to his plan to retire when his 30 Rock contract expires - CNN
Richard Dreyfuss will guest star on the next season of Weeds - TV Squad
Jeremy Irons joins indie movie Margin Call - Deadline Hollywood
10 critically acclaimed movie musicals - Rotten Tomatoes
Secrets from the set of True Blood - PopWatch
Steve Carell talks about leaving The Office on The Today Show - Gawker TV
The Vampire Diaries and other "shameless" post-Twilight vampire projects - Vulture
Would you do, dump, or marry Joseph Gordon-Levitt? - TresSugar
Looks like Javier Bardem isn't coming to Glee after all - Zap2it

Appaloosa: Solid Entertainment But Could Have Been More

BuzzSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:33:32 PDT

Appaloosa is a totally passable and - to my surprise - fun (and funny) Western movie. I'm amazed Ed Harris, the star/director/co-writer of the film, hasn't played more gunslingers, because his face was built for it. Under the shadow of a wide-brimmed hat, his skin looks believably weathered and creased, his bone structure sturdy and chiseled. By contrast, Harris's costar, Viggo Mortensen, is not what I think of when I think "cowboy." He's long and lean and hardly recognizable under a strange (but probably historically accurate) haircut and facial hair. His character drags around one of those giant long-barreled shotguns as opposed to expertly twirling a smaller one out of his holster.

The pair make a fine acting duo; they have an easy chemistry I could watch all night long. Beyond that, Appaloosa tells a well-thought-out story. But unlike Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven or last year's remake of 3:10 to Yuma, there is no new cinematic ground being broken here. For the most part, it's simply a traditional Western, which - depending on your outlook - can either be a great way to spend a night at the movies or a teensy bit disappointing. To see what I mean, just

Harris plays Virgil Cole, a man who makes a living off the lawless frontier by helping out towns overrun with criminal activity. When we first meet Virgil and his deputy, Everett Hitch (Mortensen), it's clear the two men have known each other for a while; they're the Old West dude-equivalent of BFFs. They can read each other's body language, complete each other's sentences, and are committed to having each other's backs. It's touching and pretty cute without ever being silly. Not even the charms of a new gal in town, Allie French (Renee Zellweger), can shake up the loyalty between the friends.

They arrive in Appaloosa, New Mexico, at the request of the business leaders there to help rid the town of a criminal menace named Randall Bragg (played by Jeremy Irons, sporting a strange American accent). Irons plays evil eloquently, and it suits his character well, but it's hard to get over seeing him in cowboy boots in this dusty town. Physically, he doesn't move like the others; it's hard to tell if this is inspired casting or just weird. Anyway, Virgil, in order to get the job done, declares himself the top law dog, and from there the stage is set for a showdown of some sort in a coral.

To Harris's credit, what could have been a totally predicable movie is not. Zellweger's Allie is one of the most interesting, complicated female characters I've seen in the genre, and just when you think you know the outcome of a given scene, the plot twists and turns in unexpected ways. To that end, it's a great ride. On the negative side, lots of little moments wrapped up in those twists are never really explored or given much weight. There's a moment near the beginning when all the fun cowboy stuff abruptly ends and Harris's character beats the crap out of someone for no good reason. We've warmed up to the guy only to learn he's a live wire with an ambiguous sense of justice. It's intriguing but glossed over. Digging in to his psyche is the kind of thing that could have made this movie great, but as it is, it's just a darn good story come to life by darn good actors.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Movie Preview: Appaloosa

BuzzSugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:30:25 PDT

Appaloosa hasn't really been on my radar since the casting news was first announced over a year ago, which I find odd, especially since it stars some pretty big names, is directed by Ed Harris, and looks all Western epic-y. By contrast, we've had to see every new photo and poster and trailer for Australia as that film has been in production - and that one's coming out two months after this one. So, I find the lack of Appaloosa awareness to be strange.

Then again, the trailer's not totally fascinating. It's a dusty, dramatic Western. There are manly men (Viggo Mortensen, Ed Harris, Jeremy Irons) and guns and a brief flash or two of a woman's face (Renee Zellweger). The plot description states, "Two friends hired to police a small town that is suffering under the rule of a rancher find their job complicated by the arrival of a young widow."

My favorite thing is the tagline on the movie's official website: "Feelings get you killed."

Is the fact that we haven't heard much about this a bad thing? Not necessarily. But I'm still a little puzzled. Appaloosa opens in limited release Sept. 17 before its wide release Oct. 3. To check out the trailer,

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Link Time! 7/1

BuzzSugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:31:04 PDT

Popwatch writer Annie Barrett has a hilarious note that her mother passed to her father on a plane, explaining how to adjust the volume on an iPod, which prompted Annie to ask: What's the most basic technological instruction you've had to explain to the tragically unhip?
Best Week Ever is holding a quirk-off between Daniel Day-Lewis and Jeremy Irons.
LilSugar wants to know if you can handle any more Real Housewives.
Inspired by Amanda Seyfried's character's dilemma in Mamma Mia, FilmExperience wonders which of her three possible daddies would be your daddy: Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth or Stellan Skarsgård?
TV Squad names some of the best Six Feet Under corpses, including the one that makes me scared to ever put my head through the roof of a limo.
Cinematical ponders whether or not Robin has any place in Christopher Nolan's Batman movies.
Lucky TV with MeeVee has seen three hours of Generation Kill, and it sounds like everything I'd hope it would be.
One brave contributor to The TV Addict lays out some reasons for hating Lost.

The Words Trailer: Bradley Cooper Has Got a Story For You

Shannon Vestal — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:50:51 PDT

Get ready to bend your brain as you watch the trailer for The Words, starring Bradley Cooper as a writer. His character, Rory Jansen, suffers from writer's block until he has a breakthrough and finally produces a best-selling novel. The only problem is that he stole the story from former soldier (played by Jeremy Irons), who put his life story to words years before Rory finds his writings. As you watch the preview that doesn't really come across, because the trailer starts out telling Rory's story, paralleling it with Irons's character in flashback (played by Ben Barnes). And then, randomly, Dennis Quaid and Olivia Wilde show up, because apparently Quaid's character wrote Rory's plagiarism tale. Got it?

None of that is really clear as you watch, nor does it make sense as to why a cheesy, romantic-comedy-esque song comes on in the final moments. Let's hope the movie itself is far more coherent than this first look, because I know I won't be missing a chance to see Cooper and his baby blues as a struggling artist. The film comes out Sept. 21, and you can watch the trailer after the jump.

The Avengers: Assemble For Awesomeness

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 04 May 2012 12:23:37 PDT

Ensemble romantic comedies are a dime a dozen these days, and let's face it: most of those star-studded flicks aren't even that good. But an ensemble superhero movie? Now that's an idea I can get behind. The Avengers rounds up an all-star group of comic book heroes who must get over their inflated egos and differences to take down a villain and save the world. It's a simple enough concept, and the combination of eye-popping special effects, humor, and a stellar cast makes for one hell of a blockbuster movie.

The cast of characters - and each one is very much a character in their own right - is mostly composed of people you've seen before and are happy to welcome back. There's Chris Evans as Captain America, whose situation as a '50s guy living in a 2012 world is funny to the audience, if not to him. Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as Iron Man, and his wisecracks and borderline obnoxious behavior carry the film and much of the dialogue; Chris Hemsworth is back as demigod Thor, though his role feels a bit downplayed in the midst of the rest of the hubbub. Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner return as Nick Fury, Black Widow and Hawkeye, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who kick butt but are never really as much fun as their power-wielding cohorts. The only guy who's new to the group is Mark Ruffalo, who takes on the role of Bruce Banner (aka The Hulk) for the first time, and Ruffalo's so quietly engaging that you won't even remember Eric Bana or Edward Norton in the role.

To see what else is great about The Avengers, just

Taking on this team of good guys is Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor's maniacal brother who's literally plotting world domination. His quick wit and completely deluded view of the world make him a layered villain who's incredibly fun to hate. The fun doesn't even stop there: the film is chock-full of cameos and appearances from characters from The Avengers prequels, which is an added bonus for fans that have been following The Avengers since the beginning. You don't need to be a fanatic to enjoy the movie though; the film has nods to the previous films but it still makes for a nice introduction to each of the characters as they're rounded up one by one.

Writer/director Joss Whedon goes from Buffy to the big leagues here, and he masterfully puts together a film that goes big, but doesn't let action overshadow the script. The dialogue is packed with so many one-liners that you'll likely miss half of them because the audience is still laughing at the most recent joke. Though the humor pretty much writes itself with characters like these, Whedon is wise to make it obvious that the film doesn't take itself too seriously.

The action sequences are also handled with care; the fight scenes don't linger too long, and most of the scenes showcase each of the Avengers, which helps keep the pace moving right along. I'm not usually one to gush over special effects, but I literally gasped when Mark Ruffalo transforms into The Hulk for the first time. The scene, in a way, is like the film's secret weapon. The first transformation is teased throughout most of the movie, and the suspense builds to a moment that feels perfectly constructed to grab the audience by the throat.

The only downside to The Avengers is that with so many characters, you just wish you could spend a little more time with each of your favorites. The good news is that we'll probably be hanging out with them in many sequels to come.

Photos courtesy of Disney

"I Like Much Older Guys"

Tres Community — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 03:05:00 PDT

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

I am 26 and since I can remember I've always had a thing for older guys. My first big celebrity crush was Ralph Fiennes in The English Patient and Jeremy Irons in The Mission - which is pretty weird but those actors/movies are pretty awesome and I'm sure many women have felt the same. Difference was, I was 9. When I was in early primary school and everyone was obsessed with Leonardo DiCaprio, I was doodling Alan Rickman's name on the back of my lever arch file.

I have dated guys that are my age and I have enjoyed their personalities and had (somewhat) successful relationships and although I was attracted to them, I never felt myself get gooey on the inside - if that makes sense. I just find older guys physically appealing. I get really turned on by grey hair and male pattern baldness. And dare I even say the slight paunch that men get when they are older. I have not found a man in his 20s or 30s attractive in a few years now. This is pretty weird, because I am definitely a young looking 26 year old (still get carded) and I am quite fit, dress for my age, often get approached by guys my age etc. I would not say I am craving the security and stability that comes with being older or dating someone who is older, although those are things most people who would like a relationship would logically desire . . . including me.

By the way, this is definitely not "Daddy Issues." My parents have a long, healthy, happy marriage and I come from a very close knit loving family. In fact, my Dad who is 55 is a fitness junkie like me and often passes for 44-45ish.

It's also definitely not financial. I am pretty successful and independent (have lived by myself and paid my own way since 18), and do not want someone to take care of me or buy me things in order to feel appreciated. Nor do I feel at this stage that I want to be nurtured and treated in a juvenile manner. I feel this is a sort of sexual awakening.

I am currently dating a man who is 41. We started dating about 3 years ago and I originally lied to him and said I was a young-looking 30 year old for our first three dates so he would take me seriously - we met through online dating. Although I love him dearly and think he is very attractive, I still find men that are much older than him more appealing. Like around 60 would be ideal for me.

I've tried talking to my best and closest girl friends about this, and they usually just say . . . "ewww that's gross!" and laugh it off as a joke. But I'm being serious. I am considering leaving my current relationship because these feelings are causing me to feel a bit distracted. I think I should try pursue this. I am worried about what my family and friends will think.

Everyone knows I have always liked older men, but I'm afraid that dating anyone older might cause my parents to have . . . um . . . heart attacks.

Do I need help? Is this a weird fetish, considering I am thinking purely with my loins? AM I CRAZY?!

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.

Robert Downey Jr. and Glowing Wife and New Mom Susan Step Out For Avengers Premiere

Molly Goodson — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:24:59 PDT

Robert Downey Jr. stuck close by his wife Susan Downey at this evening's world premiere of The Avengers at El Capitan Theatre in LA. It was Susan's first red carpet outing since giving birth to their new son Exton in early February. The Avengers boasts quite the star-studded cast, but one person missing was the leading lady to RDJ's Iron Man, Pepper Potts. Gwyneth Paltrow missed out on this evening's event, though she and RDJ did get to team up to present at the 2012 Oscars. There are still a handful of weeks for The Avengers cast to promote their movie together before its May 4 debut, and in case you missed it, watch our interviews with Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, and more!

Kelsey Grammer Wins the Golden Globe For Best Actor, TV Drama

Becky Kirsch — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:37:41 PST

Kelsey Grammer is this year's Golden Globe winner for best actor in a TV drama for Boss! This is his first season of the series, and he beat out Bryan Cranston, Steve Buscemi, Jeremy Irons, and Damian Lewis. How do you feel about this win?